BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Pick was a native of Wisconsin. She moved to Minneapolis in 1975 to attend school and work. While attending school on and off, she taught in special programs for emotionally disturbed children, worked in the theater, and...

Keith Meland (1938 - ) grew up in Saint Louis Park and was a long time city council member. In this interview, the history of the development of Saint Louis Park, city policies and goals regarding development and expansion of residential and...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Hanson was raised on a farm and is a farmer in Pope County. He attended Alexandria Tech School and at the time of the interview was pursuing a degree at the University of Morris. In 1978, Hanson was the manager of Alice...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Hanson was raised on a farm and is a farmer in Pope County. He attended Alexandria Tech School and at the time of the interview was pursuing a degree at the University of Morris. In 1978, Hanson was the manager of Alice...

Janet Koplos is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communications and earned a masters degree in art history from Illinois State University. She has been writing regularly on all art mediums for...

Guillermo Cuellar (1951 - ) was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, grew up in Caracas, and came to the United States to attend high school. He subsequently studied ceramics at Cornell College in Iowa. After graduation he returned to Venezuela and...

Linda Christianson (1952-) grew up in Barron, Wisconsin, and studied ceramics at Hamline University (St Paul, Minnesota), and the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts (Banff, Alberta, Canada), before returning to Minnesota to start her own ceramics...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Hartman was a project manager for the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. He received his undergraduate degree in History and Economics and a master's in Urban and Regional Planning. Prior to working for the Minnesota...

Edie Abnet (1947-) is a painter who was married to the late Richard Abnet (1934-2011) , a potter and founding host of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. In this interview, Abnet discusses her husband's childhood in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Woidas were farmers and powerline opponents from Sauk Centre in Stearns County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Learning about the powerline project. Effect of the line on farm-placement of tower and position of line; spraying;...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Woidas were farmers and powerline opponents from Sauk Centre in Stearns County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Learning about the powerline project. Effect of the line on farm-placement of tower and position of line; spraying;...

Will Swanson (1947-) grew up in Minnesota and studied ceramics, art and design at the University of Minnesota. After working at Fairview Hospital for fifteen years, Swanson married Janel Jacobson and began making pottery full-time at their home...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Lennick was born and raised in Minot, North Dakota. After graduating from high school, he worked for a utility company in the area and then joined the Army where he was a first lieutenant in the artillery. He attended...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Strand was raised in Cyrus, Minnesota. He was a farmer in Cyrus and was elected to the state Senate in 1976. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Background. Initial involvement with powerline project. Pope County's involvement. Corridor...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Strand was raised in Cyrus, Minnesota. He was a farmer in Cyrus and was elected to the state Senate in 1976. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Background. Initial involvement with powerline project. Pope County's involvement. Corridor...

In this interview, Jeff Oestreich (1947-) discusses growing up in White Bear Lake; early experiences with music and art; undergraduate education at Bemidji State University; graduate studies with Warren MacKenzie at the University of Minnesota;...

In an oral history conducted by Robert Nelson on May 5, 1989, William Nunn described his educational background, with some focus on his family background, too. Nunn was born in 1922 in Paris, Texas. Nunn graduated from Bonham High School in 1940,...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Hedners were farmers from Pope County and were members of Families Are Concerned Too. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: How the Hedners first learned about the powerline. Routing of line-priority of DNR lands; I-94 route; how route...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Nelson was born and raised on a farm and at the time of the interview was a farmer in Grant County, Minnesota. After graduating from high school, he earned a undergradute degree in physics at the University of Minnesota...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Martin was born and raised on a farm in North Dakota. He served in the Air Force for four years and then attended the University of North Dakota where he received a degree in business administration with a major in...

In this interview, Theatrice ""T"" Williams (1934 - ) gives his personal background and reasons for arriving in Minneapolis in the 1960s as a social worker on the North Side. Williams describes his relationship with the Phyllis Wheatley Center...

In this interview, Ken Tilsen gives a brief account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and lawyer, touching also on Minnesota politics. He was born in Leipzig, North Dakota, to parents of eastern European heritage. An account is given as to why...

Richard Vincent (1955-) grew up in White Bear Lake and studied pottery in high school and at Lakewood Community College in Minnesota. In this interview, Vincent discusses his childhood; ceramics education; teaching experience; the establishment of...

In this interview, Warren MacKenzie (1924-) discusses his childhood and early experience with art; being drafted in 1943; his early ceramic education and studies at the Chicago Art Institute; his first wife, the late Alix MacKenzie, who was also a...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Hagen was a farmer from Pope County and was president of Counties United for a Rural Environment (CURE). SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Background. How Hagen first learned about the the powerline project. Routing of line. Power...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Jacobson was the public relations manager for United Power Association. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: First involvement with powerline project. Role as public relations manager when Jacobson first joined UPA. Public hearing...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Fuchs were farmers and protest leaders from Belgrade, Stearns County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: How they learned about the line. Communicating with other farmers about the line. Preventing power company obtaining easements...

In this interview, Felix Phillips gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. Felix was born in Minneapolis, and raised in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Giving a brief family history, he explains that his...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Schrom was a native of Albany, Minnesota, where he lived and owned a farm at the time of the interview. In 1970 he was elected to the State Senate. He served on a number of commissions including Agriculture, Natural...

Ada Rubenstein (1917 - ) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; became involved with Jewish organizations at an early age and later took on several leadership positions. In this interview, the women discuss Rubenstein's career in community service and...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Olson earned a degree from the University of Minnesota in international relations. While he was in graduate school, he became involved in the anti-war movement of the 60s. He was a potter and taught pottery in a...

In an oral history, Herb Anderson describes his family coming to Crow Wing County from Sweden experiences he had as a youngster, encounters his famly had with Indians, his parents starting a resort, and general information about the area in the...

Ron Meshbesher, one of the most well known lawyers in Minnesota, here gives an account of his career with special attention afforded to his major cases, the Jewish law community in Minnesota and anti-Semitism in the law community in general. He was...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Anderson was President, board of directors of Cooperative Power Association. He was a farmer in Litchfield, Meeker County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Background. Impact of powerline on the area. Structure of Meeker Cooperative...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Barsness was a farmer from Cyrus, Pope County. She freelanced as a reporter on the powerline controversy for KMRS Radio and several newspapers in Pope County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Getting involved in the powerline...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Barsness was a farmer from Cyrus, Pope County. She freelanced as a reporter on the powerline controversy for KMRS Radio and several newspapers in Pope County. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Getting involved in the powerline...

Ada Rubenstein (1917 - ) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; became involved with Jewish organizations at an early age and later took on several leadership positions. In this interview, the women discuss Rubenstein's career in community service and...

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Jenks were farmers in Pope County and were members of Families Are Concerned Too (FACT). SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Farming background. First learning about the powerline. Routing of line-original route; Environmental Impact...

In this interview, Mark Kiecker talks about his experience at Wilson Campus School, before and after the change, the classes and teachers he remembers, and his life after Wilson. This oral history interview was conducted as part of the Wilson...

In this interview, Morris Sherman gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in Minneapolis in 1935 to immigrant parents from Romania, about which he gives further detail. Sherman recalls being raised on...

In this interview, Mel Orenstein gives an account of his life as a Jewish Minnesotan and legal practitioner. He was born in 1926 on the North Side of Minneapolis and moved to the Selby-Dale neighborhood of St. Paul in 1938. He recalls that his...

Robert (Bob) Briscoe (1947- ) grew up in Kansas City, Kansas and studied pottery with James Vandergriff in Zarah, Kansas, then with Lou Wynne in Colorado Springs, before moving to Minnesota where he established his pottery studio and co-founded the...

In an oral history conducted by St. Cloud State University Professor of History Calvin (Cal) Gower on March 31, 1982, Arthur Grachek discussed his background, detailed his education, and his return to St. Cloud State University. Grachek graduated...